Award honors West Virginians who have the ‘Courage to Do What Needs Done’

By Roseanna Sacco and Michael Barrick

GREENVILLE, W.Va.  – Maury Johnson, a Monroe County advocate, landowner and activist, was recently awarded a WV Can’t Wait Hometown Hero award. The presentation was made at Cook’s Old Mill, in the company of more than a dozen local friends, allies, and community leaders.

Johnson was selected for his work as a water, land, native species and people protector in Monroe County and beyond. Johnson deflected praise for himself, saying, “All I have to say is that this award would not have been possible without the help and support from a large group of ‘Hometown Heroes’ from across the region, state and nation that has supported me every step of the way.”

West Virginia Can’t Wait Co-Chair Stephen Smith was on-hand to present Johnson with a $2,000 cash award as part of the recognition. He shared a few quotes from Johnson’s nominations: 

• “Maury Johnson has made it his life’s work to speak up, and stand up for what he believes in – our right to live and breathe clean air, drink pure water, and grow food untouched by poisons. He has led the way in our county, working hard every day at what has now become his more than full-time unpaid job.” 
• “Maury is a 5th generation West Virginian, who was raised on his family farm where he currently lives. He has been a lifelong farmer who believes it is his job to be a steward of the land and to pass it down to next generations in as good or better condition than it was when he received it. He is a devoted father of two adult children” 
• “Maury Johnson is a perfect example of someone who is not afraid to rock the boat. He actively, gently, seeks what is not right and when he spots it…it comes naturally to him to stand up and speak out.”)

Smith shared, “We want to change what the word ‘hero’ means. Our heroes aren’t millionaires or celebrities. We don’t care how much money or fame you’ve accumulated. Our heroes are the people who are too busy helping people at the bottom to give a damn what the people at the top think.”

Johnson is well known in the effort to stop the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Not waiting for top-down solutions for local problems defines him. For years he has been actively involved in organizing people to identify and redress grievances and environmental injustices. He is a fifth-generation West Virginian and farmer who believes it is his job to be a steward of the earth and pass his portion of it down to further generations in as good or better condition than it was when he received it. 

As an ongoing Water Protector, he monitors erosion and sedimentation issues affecting key streams and water resources in Monroe County and helps raise funding for local watershed organizations. He is also known for being involved with tracking endangered species and monitoring disruptions to their habitat, for providing aid and various services to local residents and for organizing beautification drives such as the 35-person volunteer flower-and-tree planting initiative of the Sweet Springs Resort Park. Primarily though, Johnson is known for his ability to respectfully stand up to power with onsite documentation backed by evidence-based science.

A video of the event made by Paula Mann of Mountain Media Productions is available on YouTube here.

According to Smith, the mission of WV Can’t Wait is to win a people’s government in the Mountain State, led by the West Virginians who work the hardest and bear the greatest burdens. In addition to a $2000 award, Heroes receive free on-going leadership training and coaching, access to mental health and safety services, and a network of other folks who are making a difference. Each of the 40 Hometown Heroes was selected by a committee of volunteer leaders from around the state, from a pool of more than 115 nominations. The committee used three criteria for selecting each Hero: the lives they changed in their communities, 2) the courage they showed in standing up to the rich and powerful, and 3) the willingness to be led by people who are normally kept out, put down, or criminalized. 

Other WV Can’t Wait recipients from around The Mountain State included: 

• Debra June Williby-Walker – a grandmother from Oakvale, WV who started the Oakvale Outreach Committee with her grandson Brady in 2020. They’ve now got 37 volunteers, a blessings box, a free little library, thousands of masks made, gardens grown, and a reputation for taking on the Town Council to open more resources and economic development opportunities for the city. 
• Darrin Lester – as an inmate at Mt. Olive Correctional facility, Mr. Lester built Olive Tree as a support program for people with felony records 5 years ago. More than 375 inmates have since graduated from the program, they’ve raised thousands of dollars for foster families, spread to other prisons, and won real reform inside. Now a masters student at WVU, Mr. Lester continues to provide regular support to dozens of returning citizens. 
• Clay County Community Emergency Response Team – this all-volunteer team is led by teenager Aiden Taylor and boasts more than 75 trained volunteers across four separate divisions. In the last year, Clay County CERT has logged thousands of hours doing litter pick-ups, senior services, and emergency response work. 
• Rhonda Gales – is a retired master gardener and founder of the Blessings Closet in Berkeley County. After a heart attack nearly took her life 5 years ago, she decided that God “must have left me here for a reason.” The Blessings Closet now provides food, stocks clothing pantries in local schools, and offers a welcoming place for anyone who needs one.
• Men of Change, Inc. – a leadership organization of, by, and for Black men, based in Wheeling. The organization provides mentorship, back to school events, and a wide range of civic engagement and community service activities. They are also unafraid to take a stand on local issues affecting Black families. 
• Greenbrier Valley Pride – When local residents realized there were no pride events planned for Greenbrier County in 2021, they started their own. 29 days later, they had 500 attendees, a street fair, performers, HIV/STI testing, and a parade. Since then, they’ve held their first drag show fundraiser and launched a transgender youth support group. 

WV Can’t Wait volunteers designed the Hometown Hero Award program to be different from most grant-giving projects. Instead of long grant applications and restrictive budget reporting, WV Can’t Wait accepted nominations by text/email and offered “no-strings-attached” awards so groups could decide how best to use the funds based on need. Instead of recognizing professional advocates and large non-profit organizations, WV Can’t Wait sought out people and groups who are making a difference without much money or connections. And instead of celebrating millionaires and celebrities with a ballroom gala, WV Can’t Wait will honor Hometown Heroes with a barbecue lunch from Dem 2 Brothers on March 5th at their statewide Convention. 

Accepting the award, Ms. Gales acknowledged a crucial moment for her work. “Six years ago, I had a heart attack that made me think about my purpose,” she offered. 

“What I do is free,” she said. “I don’t charge any of the recipients who receive food, clothes or educational materials, and I don’t make any money off of this.”

WV Can’t Wait is a statewide organization, committed to winning a people’s government in West Virginia. That means recruiting, training, and supporting no-corporate-cash candidates for office; helping those candidates govern once they win; and throwing our weight behind the people – like these Hometown Heroes – who are doing the work that our government fails to do. For more information, visit wvcantwait.com. Please note that not all Hometown Hero awardees are listed above; some have chosen to remain anonymous.

Meanwhile, Johnson remains active. At the end of February, he organized a Polar Plunge for Clean Water to coincide with this birthday. It was a frigid success, with $2,000 or more raised for two organizations – the Indian Creek Watershed Association and West Virginia Rivers.

© Michael M. Barrick, 2022. Feature photo by Paula Mann.